Astrid Mager at #ossym21
“Calls for a European “third way” in matters of digital technology need to be put into action to achieve an actual change of the status quo. To achieve autonomy in the digital sphere, European alternatives to digital services and products need to be established. However, such efforts must also extend to the level of information technology infrastructure. To that end, decentralized indexing of the internet could significantly help to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty. Nevertheless, legal challenges need to be overcome to make that vision a reality.”
Kai Erenli, Christian Geminn and Leon Pfeiffer from osf’s Legal group have written a very worthwhile article about the legal challenges of an open search infrastructure.
Erenli, K., Geminn, C. & Pfeiffer, L.
Legal challenges of an open web index.
International Cybersecurity Law Review volume 2, pages 183–194 (2021)
Direkt zum Artikel (englisch): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1365/s43439-021-00017-8
“In Europe, a group called the Open Search Foundation has proposed a plan to create a common internet index that can underpin many European search engines.”
According to a recent report of the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, Apple received the “substantial majority” of the 1.2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) that Google paid to be the default search engine on a variety of devices in the United Kingdom in 2019. The UK markets regulator states that the arrangements between Apple and Google create “a significant barrier to entry and expansion” for Google’s rivals in the search engine market.
Read the full article at Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-google-idUSKBN242748
“Recognition is growing worldwide that something big needs to be done about Big Tech, and fast.”
“The tech giant doesn’t have to be dismantled. Sharing its crown jewel might reshape the internet.”
… says Robert Epstein on bloomberg.com.
Read the full article at https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-15/to-break-google-s-monopoly-on-search-make-its-index-public
Open Search Foundation e.V.
The Open Search Foundation e.V. is a European movement of people and organisations that work together to create the foundation for independent, free and self-determined access to information on the Internet. In cooperation with research institutions, computer centres and other partners, we’re committed to a searching the web in a way that benefits everyone. The promotion of research in the field of search engines, plus education and cooperation, form the pillars of our work.
